Last year, in the manic busyness that preceded moving into our house, I completely forgot to mark my blog anniversary. This time (8 years!) I wanted to be sure to remember it. Why have I not noted before that it coincides with International Women’s Day?! I’m pleased with that.
By Հայկ Ափրիկյան, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Yesterday evening the Women’s Prize longlist was announced.** Of my predictions, 4 were correct, which is pretty good going for me. I got none of my personal wishes, however. Of course, I would have preferred for us to have one of my lists. Still, overall, it’s a fairly interesting mix of new and established authors, with a full half of the list being debut work. Seven of the authors are BIPOC. I’ve read 2 of the nominees and would be amenable to reading up to 7 more. My library always buys the entire longlist, so I’ll eventually get the chance to read them, but not soon enough to add to the conversation.
Read:
Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver (CORRECT PREDICTION): Follows the contours of Charles Dickens’s David Copperfield, transplanting the plot to 1990s southwest Virginia to uncover the perils of opiate addiction. Ten-year-old Damon Fields lives in a trailer home with his addict mother, who works at Walmart, and his new stepfather, a mean trucker. Tragedy strikes and Damon moves between several foster homes before running away. His irrepressible, sassy voice is reminiscent of Holden Caulfield’s in this Appalachian cousin to Shuggie Bain. 
Black Butterflies by Priscilla Morris: Drawing on her own family history, Morris has crafted an absorbing story set in Sarajevo in 1992, the first year of the Bosnian War. Zora, a middle-aged painter, has sent her husband, Franjo, and elderly mother off to England to stay with her daughter, Dubravka, confident that she’ll see out the fighting in the safety of their flat and welcome them home in no time. But things rapidly get much worse than she is prepared for. It was especially poignant to be reading this during the war in Ukraine. 
Requested from the library:
Fire Rush by Jacqueline Crooks – Sounds good, if too much like this year’s Opal & Nev.
The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O’Farrell (CORRECT PREDICTION) – I was going to skip this because I wasn’t keen on Hamnet, but I do love O’Farrell in general, so I guess I’ll give it a try.
Interested in reading (but can’t find):
Homesick by Jennifer Croft – N.B. This was subtitled “A Memoir” at its U.S. release.
Children of Paradise by Camilla Grudova
Memphis by Tara M. Stringfellow
I’m a Fan by Sheena Patel (CORRECT PREDICTION)
Wandering Souls by Cecile Pin
Not interested in reading:
Glory by NoViolet Bulawayo – Like I said when it was nominated for the Booker, I have to wonder why we needed an extended Animal Farm remake…
Stone Blind by Natalie Haynes – I really should have predicted this one. It’s a hard pass on the Greek myth retellings for me.
Trespasses by Louise Kennedy (CORRECT PREDICTION) – I avoid anything set during The Troubles. (Sorry!)
Cursed Bread by Sophie Mackintosh – The Water Cure was awful.
The Dog of the North by Elizabeth McKenzie – The Portable Veblen was trying too hard.
Pod by Laline Paull – Her novels always sound so formulaic.
The Bandit Queens by Parini Shroff – Nah.
See also the reactions posts from Cathy, Clare, Eric and Laura.
**The announcement has traditionally been on International Women’s Day, but I’m guessing that this year they brought it forward to pre-empt news of the inaugural Carol Shields Prize for Fiction longlist. This prize is open to novels, short stories and graphic novels by women, published in calendar year 2022, with parameters otherwise quite similar to those of the WP except that it’s only for U.S. and Canadian residents. {EDITED} To be honest, I was not convinced that the literary world needed an additional prize for women’s fiction, especially as North Americans tend to do well in the WP race. However, at first glance, its longlist is a lot less obvious and more interesting, with 11/15 BIPOC and some short story collections as well as a graphic novel in the running. It remains to be seen if I’ll follow both prizes or switch allegiance. Some of the CSP books may prove difficult to access in the UK. So far I have read Brown Girls and can get The Furrows from the library. Of note: the Carol Shields Prize is worth a lot more ($150,000 U.S. vs. £30,000).
What have you read, or might you read, from the longlist?
Bookish Beck = Rebecca Foster. American transplant to England. Freelance proofreader and book reviewer.
Bookish Beck 
I forgot to check on the longlist yesterday so this is actually the first time I’ve seen it! I’ve only read one – I’m a Fan, which I very much enjoyed. I’ve got Children of Paradise on my shelf, so I’ll have to get to that soon, and Cursed Bread is on request from the library. I am interested in reading a fair few others though.
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I know next to nothing about I’m a Fan, but saw it make some book of the year lists so thought it was a good bet for the longlist. Children of Paradise sounds really interesting!
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Happy blog anniversary! And how great that it coincides with International Women’s Day. Only one of my Women’s Prize wishes came true and it’s the one you’re determined not to read. I suspect I won’t be able to persuade you to try it but it is superb so I’ll leave it at that.
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It’s an irrational prejudice of mine, I know. Perhaps I’ll change my tune! It’s okay if it’s just a vague background rather than a major theme?
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Definitely a major theme. The Troubles are viewed through the lens of an affair between a young Catholic woman and an older Protestant man. It’s superbly done but maybe not one for you!
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Two of your won’t reads are on my will read list. Natalie Haynes was a marvellous speaker during the Lockdown Hay Festival, and I have always been a fan of Greek myths. So I’ve got to read this. And Trespasses has been on my list since I read a review goodness knows where. And yes, a lot of the other candidates are there to be tackled at some point.
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Greek myth updates are a particular favourite of the Women’s Prize. I just can’t get anywhere with them. I tried The Song of Achilles and it wasn’t happening.
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Ah! I loved that, and Circe even more!
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Happy Blog Birthday! Here’s to many more.
I’ve read Grudova and Croft – adored the Grudova which had a distinct Lydia Yuknavitch feel for me. Croft I admired but didn’t quite love – I would have sent you on my copy but I just sold it last night. Sorry! I only have the O’Farrell on my piles, but I would happily read Haynes, Paull, Kennedy and Patel in particular.
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I enjoyed Grudova’s surreal stories so would try her novel as well. No worries, I’ve asked Charco to send a copy. I do feel a little bit put out that it was a) originally in another language and b) originally marketed as a memoir — both of which would make it ineligible for the WP! It’s funny that it had to be called a memoir to sell in the USA, whereas Europe is much more open to autofiction.
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Happy blog anniversary too. Not sure about any of them but my local library has some intriguing books. Must say I did like Hamnet but possibly more for Shakespearean times and how women would have felt at the loss of a child.
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Thank you! I’m not drawn to the setting of The Marriage Portrait but O’Farrell is usually an outstanding writer, so I’ll give it a try.
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She certainly is but maybe gets a bit ‘overdone’. Some aspects of Hamnet could have been cut!
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[…] Also check out Rebecca’s thoughts. […]
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Happy blog anniversary! I’m intrigued by the Carol Shields prize, will have to take a look at that now the WP has annoyed me so much 🙂 I’ll be picking up the O’Farrell, Patel, Mackintosh, Crooks and Croft – but have only actually added 2 titles to my TBR as the others were already there.
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Could have been worse, right? 😉 There could have been even more quirky books by white ladies, like Lessons in Chemistry or Really Good, Actually. It’s not too bad from a diversity perspective, and a few indie publishers even got a look-in.
My worry with the Carol Shields Prize is that it will be loads of obscure Canadian titles we would struggle to access over here. I think it will immediately set itself up as being less commercial and more literary, though, so maybe we’ll both get on with its choices better!
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Ah but my trip to Canada in the summer will set me up to access Canadian books 🙂 I’ll be really interested to see the LL. I hope it hits that readable literary sweet spot.
I’m not sure it could have been worse for me tbh…. I take 50% diversity as a given now for the WP longlist and I’d have preferred to see Lessons in Chemistry over the Pin or the Shroff (though I’m glad it’s not here as well!).
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Ooh, a good chance to stock up!
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Oh, it’s up! https://carolshieldsprizeforfiction.com/2023-longlist It already looks so much better to me! Elsewhere, We Measure The Earth With Our Bodies and The Sleeping Car Porter are already on my TBR.
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I’ve actually read one, it’s a miracle! Brown Girls, which was great. I’d read any of the rest, except probably the Emma Hooper as I didn’t care for her debut.
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Happy Blogversary Rebecca! I found this years list a bit disappointing. I’m glad to see Trespasses here, but I didn’t like Demon Copperhead at all. The Marriage Portrait isn’t surprising and I did like it more than Hamnet. I think I’ll check out I’m a Fan, Homesick and Children of Paradise, but not much else appeals.
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I have mixed feelings as well — there’s so much they might have recognized but didn’t. And some of the selections feel very ‘safe’.
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Happy Blogoversary and please keep on blogging. I rely on your blog to keep me updated & value your opinion. Happy blogging during the coming year, and may your shelves creak and groan under an avalanche of terrific reads!
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That’s very kind of you, Alison! You can be sure that my shelves will always be groaning with books yet to be read.
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Happy 8th Birthday, Rebecca! Here’s to many more years of sharing opinions about books. I have Jennifer Croft’s book (I almost automatically buy books by translators who are also writers whether non-fiction or fiction) – it’s available on the Charco Press website but I have yet to see any Charco Press titles in the libraries, maybe that will change now. I did like Hamnet but was not riveted by The Marriage Portrait. I do want to read Trespasses (unlike you, I have a bit of a fascination with books set during the Troubles). I’m also interested in Wandering Souls and Children of Paradise and have Black Butterflies on order (the Yugoslav War was part of my youth so books about it are catnip to me).
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It’s a coup for Charco; I’m very pleased for them. I hope to review this one, even though I’m slightly grumpy about it being barely fiction. I think my library has purchased 1 or 2 of their titles before.
Black Butterflies was wonderful. It’s great to see it get some attention.
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Happy blogaversary!!
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Thank you!
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Your Shuggie Bain comparison piques my interest, though that one was so hard to read. Not sure I’ll try Demon Copperhead–her recent work always makes me nostalgic for her early novels. Special place in my heart for The Bean Trees!
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I DNFed Shuggie, so I’m a fraud for using it as a comp 😉 The Poisonwood Bible is my favorite by Kingsolver. I didn’t warm to her early work much but I’d like to try it again.
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Happy blog birthday! I’m feeling deeply indifferent about the WP this year, a feeling which has been growing for some time. I’d be interested in Children of Paradise, but not enough to expend a lot of effort seeking it out, and The Bandit Queens had me intrigued but I’m now hearing from Laura that the brilliant premise is squandered. At least two of the longlistees (Laline Paull and Sophie Mackintosh) I know to produce work that I’ve actively disliked in the past, so that’s not great either…
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The Water Cure was so bad I don’t think I could read another Mackintosh even though the premise does actually intrigue me. And Paull’s synopses have always made me cringe for some reason.
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Paull did write that one about Antarctica that seemed a bit different, but again, I don’t trust her execution.
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Happy blog anniversary and congratulations on getting four prize predications nailed! An interesting selection, the Greek myth retellings don’t usually tempt me, but the Haynes does sound interesting and I’m curious about The Bandit Queens, which could easily be awful, but might not. I’m looking forward to seeing what will be nominated for the Carol Shields prize.
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Here’s the Carol Shields Prize longlist: https://carolshieldsprizeforfiction.com/2023-longlist
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Thanks, Rebecca. I finally had time to take a look at this after getting home this afternoon – another interesting list, and like the Women’s List, some familiar titles that are on my TBR, but others I’d like to find out more about.
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Happy blog anniversary! I’m planning on reading the entire longlist, so I’m trying not to have too many preconceived ideas about which books I’ll enjoy. Admittedly, though, Demon Copperhead really does not sound like my thing at all and The Dog of the North sounds like it’s trying way too hard to be “quirky”. I’ve got my fingers crossed for some pleasant surprises and that the books I was already excited for (I’m A Fan, Stone Blind, Trespasses and Wandering Souls) come through for me.
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Thanks for the follow! And good luck with the longlist. I hope you find lots to enjoy. I’m more tempted by the Carol Shields Prize longlist, but many of the books would be difficult/expensive to get hold of.
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Happy blog birthday! So glad to still be getting your thoughts on books and prize lists. They’re always so well informed.
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Aww, thanks, Katie — I appreciate it.
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I have only read one of them, The Marriage Portrait, and I have one more on my stack, Demon Copperhead. I will probably read more, though. I’m thinking of putting a shortlist project on my blog, but I will probably only do that if I stop reading the James Tait Black shortlist, since I’m reading three already.
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Demon Copperhead seems like a book for you.
How did you get into following the James Tait Black Prize? I don’t know much about that one.
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A blogger I read (can’t remember who) was criticizing the Booker Prize selections and said that the James Tait Black Prize was more representative of what people were reading, so I decided to add it to the list of shortlists I’m reading. I didn’t think ahead, though, that I’m reading a lot of Brit lit because of the shortlists, because I started with the Walter Scott Historical Fiction prize. And even though the prizes select books in English from any country, the preponderance of the selections still seem to be British.
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Oh, sorry, I meant to say, congratulations on your anniversary!
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Thanks, Kay!
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Happy blog anniversary! Thanks for linking to my post. I also tend to steer clear of the Greek myth retellings 😉 I’m interested to see if the proportion of debuts remains the same when the longlist is whittled down to six.
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It seems like returning favourites such as Kingsolver and O’Farrell would be shoo-ins for the shortlist. Eric (Lonesome Reader) has predicted all along that Kingsolver will win. I’d be uncomfortable with that because she would be the first author to win the prize twice, setting a new precedent; I think she, too, would feel that upcoming authors should have the recognition instead.
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Happy blogiversary!
I’ve only tried to read one from the long list, Memphis. I didn’t finish it. The setup annoyed me to no end. (Characters behaving strangely about sexual abuse of a young character.) but I heard from two ladies who use my library that they loved it. I’m excited to hear about the Carol Shields prize because I love her so much! She deserves to be remembered.
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I’d be willing to give Memphis a try if my library orders a copy.
It’s wonderful that there is now this prize in her honor. I really hope I can access more of the books on its longlist.
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Happy Blogiversary! I felt a bit meh about the list and only have Demon Copperhead to read (soon! Couldn’t face lugging it on holiday!).
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Thank you! I wonder what you’ll make of Demon Copperhead when the time comes. My interest has been turning to previous years’ nominees instead, though I may get a few of these from the library when possible.
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I feel like Matthew is so invested in me reading it that I might read it when he’s away again in May!! And yes, that’s a good plan, there have been some good ones over the years.
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I loved The Marriage Portrait (and it’s not my usual thing at all) – I must have been in the right frame of mind for it, because I let myself be absorbed and became completely engrossed. As it turns out, I’m not feeling the same about Hamnet (only 10% of the way through, so that might change).
No books about The Troubles? I’m the opposite, I’m drawn to them, and loved Trespasses (finished it this week). But The Troubles for you is the Holocaust for me – I’m only interested in reading first-hand accounts and there’s not anything new being published (it is now intergenerational trauma , which I will read or memoir out of East Germany, which I also read – basically no fictional stories!).
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(I somehow missed your comment; forgive me for not replying until now.)
I haven’t been hugely enthusiastic about picking up The Marriage Portrait — my hold just arrived yesterday — but hope to be pleasantly surprised.
You’re one of a few bloggers I know who are very keen on Irish reads despite not being Irish. It’s hard to say why I avoid the topic, and I’m sure I’ve been inconsistent and broken my own rule several times. Claire Keegan’s excellent novellas and Wendy Erskine’s stories were fine because there was just a subtle mention in the background. I also loved the memoir Reading in the Dark by Seamus Deane but I think that’s set a little earlier.
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I am so excited about the Carol Shields Prize. It gives Canadian writers another crack at the can – it’s unusual to see them on international book prize lists.
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It’s such an interesting longlist, too. I’m reading my second selection from it now. I wish I could find more of the books readily.
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I’ve read a few of the Canadian picks already, and have a couple on hold. But there’s one I can’t get through the library. I have no hope of reading the whole list, though!
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Especially in such a short time before the announcement. That’s always the trouble. All the books look worth reading, though.
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